Cochlear Ltd

Company Background

With origins in research from the University of Melbourne, Cochlear Ltd’s implant technology electronically stimulates the auditory nerve and is a safe, reliable and effective treatment for moderate to profound sensorinueral hearing loss in adults and children over 12 months of age. Surgical use of the implant in Australia commenced in 1982, and it was the first implant of its kind to gain US Food and Drug Administration approval for use in adults in 1985 and in children in 1990.

An electrode array is implanted into the patient’s cochlea, with platinum electrodes attached to a receiver/stimulator under the skin above the ear. The receiver/stimulator receives radiofrequency signals from an external attachment.

The key to the technology is the nanoscale bio-material interface - a silicone elastomer - between the metal electrode implanted in the cochlea and the nerve endings they stimulate. The electrode array includes 22 small platinum electrodes over a 17mm length and is only 0.6mm wide, tapering to 0.4mm at its very tip.

Cochlear has secured around 70% of the world market in hearing implants.